Bruce Arnold

Tonality of Modes and Their Degrees

Tonality of Modes and Their Degrees

Q: When I hear E in A Maj I think 5. If I were to hear C in G Maj, I think 4, no confusion. Here is the confusion: I have a video by Vinnie Moore that says F lydian is in the same key as C Ionian, just starting on a different degree of the major scale. He says ‘So if someone says lets jam in D dorian you would know that you are in C Ionian.’ Then he plays the 7 modes over a B note vamp so you can really hear the different tonalities of each mode. Then he says that they were all in different keys, that B Ionian is not the same key as B dorian or B phrygian but that they were played over the same root note.

A: I haven’t seen the Vinnie Moore video so I’m only going on your word but I assure you that the key of F lydian is a completely different tonality than C major. To use your examples, if you play a C in F lydian it will sound like the 5th. If you play an F in the key of C major it will sound like the 4th. Therefore, these key centers are not the same. If someone says lets jam in D dorian you do not think C major you think D Dorian because you are in the key of D dorian not C major. By the way if you understood my Ear Training One Note Complete you would have realized this is true.

It is also recommended that you read Bruce Arnold’s Blog at his artist site. It contains more discussion of the musical topics found in these FAQs as well as other subjects of interest. You will also find the “Music Education Genealogy Chart” located here which shows you the historic significance of the music education products found on the Muse Eek Publishing Company Website.